PREFACE 



In 1945, Dr. Ross G. Harrison, then Chair- 

 man of the National Research Council, 

 recognizing the wide community of in- 

 terests among students of the many diverse 

 aspects of the nervous system and behavior, 

 called a conference to examine how the 

 common interests of neurobiology could 

 best be served. Upon the recommenda- 

 tion of this conference, the NRC appointed 

 a Committee on Neurobiology to survey 

 the status and needs in all areas concerned 

 with research on the nervous system and 

 to make appropriate recommendations for 

 the promotion of this field. In carrying out 

 its mandate, the Committee, operating 

 under the chairmanship of D. W. Bronk 

 until 1947 and of the present chairman 

 thereafter, has collected pertinent data and 

 opinions. In periodic meetings, including 

 a two-day symposium, the assembled in- 

 formation was critically reviewed. In the 

 end, each member of the Committee under- 

 took to write a summary evaluation of 

 neurobiology from the viewpoint of his 

 particular specialty in the light of the pre- 

 ceding joint discussions of the whole Com- 

 mittee. These condensed reports, which 

 contain the gist of the conclusions and rec- 

 ommendations reached by the Committee, 

 are presented herewith. It was deemed 

 preferable to preserve the individuality of 

 these contributions by publishing them in 

 their original forms, rather than to com- 

 bine them into a single master report. 



The Committee has been aided in its 

 work by a generous grant from the John 

 and Mary R. Markle Foundation, whose 

 assistance is gratefully acknowledged. The 

 Committee members are also greatly in- 

 debted to the many fellow scientists who 

 liberally responded to requests for data, 

 advice and opinions. Lastly, the Com- 

 mittee wishes to express its appreciation to 

 all the officers and personnel of the NRC 

 who in their endeavor to serve the cause 

 of science by serving the working scien- 



tists facilitated greatly the work of the 

 Committee, including the preparation and 

 publication of this report. 



The original task of the Committee has 

 been outlined in a memorandum sum- 

 marizing the conclusions of the inaugurat- 

 ing conference. By way of introduction, 

 the text of this memorandum is reproduced 

 here in an abbreviated and slightly revised 

 version. 



MEMORANDUM ON NEUROBIOLOGY 



Preamble 

 There has been much evidence in recent years 

 of the emergence of an integrated biology of man, 

 bringing biological, anthropological, psychological 

 and sociological knowledge to bear on a rational 

 understanding of the nature and conduct of man. 

 War and postwar problems have intensified the 

 awareness of a need for better rational understand- 

 ing of human behavior. In fact, part of the blame 

 for the existing troubled world situation has been 

 placed upon the discrepancy between the advanced 

 stage of the physical sciences and technology on 

 the one hand, and the rather backward state of 

 our knowledge of man on the other. Since human 

 behavior, or at least that side of it which lies 

 within the province of the sciences, is basically 

 the manifestation of the activities of the nervous 

 system, this implies an indictment of all sciences 

 dealing with the nervous system. This indictment 

 is not altogether unjustified as the nervous system 

 has actually failed to receive attention and inves- 

 tigation commensurate to its paramount importance 

 in human affairs. 



In an effort to determine what steps might be 

 taken to rectify this disproportion, the NRC con- 

 voked a conference of men prominent in research 

 on the nervous system. This conference was held 

 on June 29, 1945 and attended by the following: 

 Philip Bard; Donald Barron; Leonard Carmichael, 

 chairman; Sam L. Clark; John F. Fulton; Robert 

 F. Griggs; Ross G. Harrison; Joseph C. Hinsey; 

 Karl S. Lashley; Rafael Lorente de No; Walter R. 

 Miles; Irvine H. Page; Francis O. Schmitt; Lewis 

 H. Weed; Paul Weiss. 



The deliberations of this conference made it 

 clear that, in spite of the splendid achievements 

 in various lines of research, the state of the field 



